Guardian Demon
by Shadow.in.the.Night210
Summary: My first fanfic! Deepground is back, and they're after Vincent again. And Yuffie somehow gets involved. Her life is in danger and if they don't beat them within two weeks, Yuffie's day's are numbered and Vincent will be stuck as Chaos for the rest of his life! Yuffentine, Cloti later on.
1. Prologue: Meeting

**Guardian Demon**

**Prologue: Meeting**

**The kingdom of Wutai. A rather small continent settled between the Western and Central Continents. Covered by fields, forests, and mountains, all under the watchful eye of Leviathan. In the small village of Wutai, the king, Godo, keeps the land safe for its residents, and its future queen, Yuffie. The thing is, she hasn't seen her home for a few weeks now. She is more of a free spirit that prefers to travel the world rather than stay and rule one country. Yuffie is exploring the Planet again in hopes of finding materia, as well as who she truly is. After spending a night at Gongaga, Yuffie heads north to see where the path should take her.**

**Yuffie has support from all of her friends that she previously travelled with four years ago during the Sephiroth/Jenova/Meteor incidents. Everyone she was withal had a motive for fighting. Cloud regained himself with Tifa's help, Barret made the world a better place for his adopted daughter, Marlene, and Reeve (or Cait Sith) got help taking down ShinRa. Nanaki swore to protect the Planet at all costs, while Cid sacrificed ShinRa's Space Program to attempt to bring down Meteor. Vincent wanted nothing more than his sweet revenge on the mad scientist, Hojo, for hurting the one he loved and using him for sick experiments. Yuffie was in it to represent Wutai, and to get loads of materia. **

**Yuffie didn't mind wandering through forests on bit. She loved the fresh air and didn't mind the insects. The sound of a nearby river completed the tranquility, as well as the chirping birds. "This place would be a good spot for a nap," she thought out loud.**

**As she walked along the river bank, Yuffie spotted someone lying against a fallen tree, fast asleep. His long, black hair moving to the breeze. The tattered red cape he wore was flowing to the left of him, and his golden claw glistened in the sunlight. Vincent Valentine never looked this relaxed. Yuffie didn't know what to do. Wake him in his peaceful slumber or let him continue sleeping? As Yuffie was thinking, she felt that unmistakable ruby gaze focused on her back, and slowly turned around.**

"**Umm… Hiya Vince!" she said quickly, trying not to look nervous. "Fancy meeting you here."**

**Vincent just starred at her. "What are you doing here, Yuffie?"**

"**I just spent the night at Gongaga, and now I'm seeing where my feet take me," Yuffie said in hesitation. Sometimes she was nervous around the gunslinger.**

**Vincent kept looking at her. "You're wandering around aimlessly by yourself?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He could tell that she was blushing by the way she talked.**

"**Well if you wanna put it bluntly, then yes," Yuffie said, sounding slightly annoyed and put her hands on her hips. "Anyway, I'm gonna get going, and, umm, look for loads of materia!" With that, she turned around and started walking.**

**As soon as she did so, Yuffie felt a hand grasping hers. She looked over her shoulder to see Vincent keeping her from getting away. **_**When did he get up? **_**she thought to herself. "Yuffie," he started. "If you want, I'll accompany you." Her eyebrows shot up as her eyes widened. "Since the Omega incident, things have gotten, well, quiet."**

**Yuffie couldn't help but laugh. Did she just hear that from him? She pulled her hand out of Vincent's grasp and held her stomach. "Oh my God! Are you serious? You, the great Vincent Valentine, bored?"**

"**I… didn't say that," Vincent protested, letting out a sigh.**

"**Well," Yuffie started, trying to regain her composure. "I don't mind if you tag along. Who knows? With you around, things might get interesting." She shot a smile to him. **

**Vincent hid a small grin behind the collar of his cloak. "Thank you, Yuffie," he said as he walked past the small ninja. She followed after him, with a big smile on her face.**

**A pair of eyes had been watching the gunslinger and ninja from the bush. He picked up a cell phone and made a call. On the other line, someone asked, "Have you located them?"**

"**Yes," the stranger answered. "I have located the Wutain princess, as well as the Keeper."**


	2. Chapter 1: Captured

**Guardian Demon**

**Chapter 1: Captured**

**After walking for four hours north of Gongaga, and quite a few monster encounters, Vincent and Yuffie had stopped to make camp for the night. After all, Yuffie was complaining about her sore feet. Vincent was fine, however, because of his genetic enhancements. They had to get a fire started to keep themselves (mainly Yuffie) warm, and to keep the insects away.**

"**Ow!" Yuffie yelled as she took her shoes off.**

"**Blisters?"**

"**No," she answered Vincent. "Heels are sore from walking."**

"**That was my second guess."**

"**Sure it was," Yuffie rolled her eyes. "So, what have you been up to these past few months? Haven't seen or heard from you in a while."**

**After a few seconds of silence, Vincent answered. "Not much." His ruby eyes were now focused on her. "Saw Nanaki a couple of times, ran into Cloud and Tifa once, and did some monster control in Mideel."**

**Yuffie starred at him blankly. "Well at least you're talking to people, and helping them out."**

"**That, and," he continued, looking away from the ninja. "Chaos has returned."**

**Yuffie's eyes went wide. "What?" She recalled the battle with Hojo on the Mako Cannon in Midger. Vincent had unleashed his most powerful demon, Chaos, at the mad scientist. No one else was fighting, fearing that the demon would attack them. The power it displayed that night was unimaginable. To this day, no one knows what happened to Hojo's body. "Wait," she shook her head, breaking her train of thought. "I thought he returned to the Lifestream. You said so yourself."**

**Vincent glared at her once again. "It's more like he never left." Yuffie looked at him in confusion. "After the Omega Incident, Chaos went into a three-month sleep. I wasn't able to feel his presence, and assumed he returned to the Planet." He paused and turned away. "Last month, he reawakened."**

**Yuffie crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly. "Sounds to me like he was worn out from fighting Omega and took a major power nap."**

**He laughed quietly to himself, hiding a smile. "You can put it that way."**

"**Also," Yuffie began. She didn't want to ask him, but she had to know. "Is Chaos still, well, evil and psychotic?"**

**Vincent had to think about that. For the past month, he had been having conversations with the demon. They would talk about the Avalanche crew and the best ways to kill certain monsters. On occasion, Chaos would bug him about himself and the way he was. "Since I still have the Protomateria, he's tame. But he can be annoying at times."**

**Yuffie breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the demon is under control. "Phew, good. You still have it." She remembered a time where she was still young and had read about the Protomateria. But what she read was "most powerful materia in existence." She couldn't help but want it back then. Now she knew where it is, what it does, and why it exists. In Vincent's chest, controlling the most powerful demon in existence. And it's staying there.**

**Twenty minutes have past as Yuffie's fatigue had caught up to her, sleeping at the base of a tree. Vincent remained awake throughout the night, keeping the fire alive and the sleeping ninja safe. He only slept once a week, so it didn't bother him. He watched the sky grow darker as night approached. The crescent moon appeared and gave the forest and eerie glow. At about one in the morning, Vincent's sensitive hearing picked up the sound of footstep, disturbing the peaceful night. Turning his head in its direction, he sighed. "At this hour?" He was about to stand when he heard three separate footsteps, coming closer to their small camp. He continued to get up on his feet when he heard a forth pair of feet in the brush. Walking over to where Yuffie slept, he sensed the presence of a fifth person, more powerful than the other four. He crouched down to her side to awaken her sleeping form.**

"**Yuffie," Vincent whispered, trying not to be loud. "We've got to get out of here."**

**Groaning, Yuffie looked up at Vincent with sleepy eyes. "Just ten more minutes," she mumbled, turning away from him.**

"**No, Yuffie. We have to move, and quick," Vincent urged the sleepy ninja. "There's about four people watching us from the forest."**

**That got Yuffie up. She looked in every direction she could but saw no one. She did, however, trust Vincent and his enhanced senses. Whenever he said something or someone was around, there always was in the end. "Where are they? Unlike you, I can't see in the dark."**

**Vincent closed his eyes, trying to determine the whereabouts of the intruders. There are four people around us for sure." He paused, eyes tightening. "There is a fifth presence, but I can't tell where it is exactly."**

**Yuffie's eyes widened in surprise. Vincent never had a hard time sensing anyone's presence. Suddenly, she saw his eyes snap open, and threw himself at her, taking them both to the ground. "Oww! What was that for?" Yuffie yelled as quietly as possible, rubbing her head as she sat up.**

**As Vincent stood over her, he pulled out his triple-barreled pistol, Cerberus, and pointed it to where Yuffie previously sat. Then she saw what he was pointing at. "One of them just shot a dart at you. Looks like a tranquilizer." The small dart had a clear liquid inside of it. Yuffie was filling up with fear now, as Vincent held out his clawed hand to her. "We should go. They're coming closer."**

**Without hesitating, she took it. Suddenly, Vincent bolted through the forest, pulling Yuffie along with him. She was amazed by how fast he could run, and she was having a hard time keeping up with him. She also heard the whistling of more darts coming at them. Thankfully, the forest protected them from the flying needles. Vincent must have heard them, too, because he ran even faster than before.**

"**Vincent!" Yuffie yelled at him. "Go any faster and my feet won't be on the ground!"**

**As he turned a corner, Vincent slowly came to a stop. "Would you rather go on my back?" he asked quickly. "I would be able to run faster that way." **

"**Umm…" Yuffie wasn't sure what to say because she could feel her face turning red. Out of nowhere, a dart flew between her and Vincent. "Yeah, sure! Anything to get away from these things!" she yelled in a panic.**

**Crouching down, Vincent let her on his back. Yuffie wasted no time getting on as she wrapped her arms around his neck and put her legs at his sides. When she was ready, Vincent took off, running at speeds that were impossible for the average human. She knew he was fast, but not this fast. They both heard the darts fly past them; only this time there was more of them.**

"**Man, these guys are fast!" Yuffie commented while looking over her shoulder. "Can you tell if they're on bikes or something? 'Cause there's no other way to go this fast!" **

"**They're catching up," Vincent sounded concerned. "And I don't hear any engines."**

"**You mean they're on foot, too?" Yuffie could not believe this. No other human was as fast as Vincent on foot, except for a certain First Class SOLDIER.**

**They burst out of the forest and into a clearing. This was the last thing Vincent needed. If those "things" shot one of their darts, they would have a clear shot. No trees or bushes protecting them. He stopped dead in his tracks, letting Yuffie down, Cerberus in hand, waiting to see a human silhouette in the tree line. He heard a quiet whistle coming quickly from behind them. It was too fast to avoid and the dart embedded itself in Yuffie's thigh.**

"**Ouch! What the hell?" she cursed as she pulled the needle out, and realized what just happened. Yuffie looked up at Vincent, but she started to lose her balance. "Vincent. I feel… really… tired…." As she fell over, Vincent caught the drowsy ninja. She was fast asleep, not moving at all.**

"**Yuffie?" Vincent tried to wake her up, but to no avail. "Yuffie, get up." Still nothing. He set her body down to the ground as he sensed the presence of two people. "Damn you," he looked at the two silhouettes hiding in the shadow of the forest. He stood up and walked a few steps in front of Yuffie. His red eyes looking at them with a burning hatred. "What do you want from us?"**

**They remained silent, and stepped out into the moonlight. Then it became clear who these guys were. They wore long, white and grey trench coats that fanned out at their waists. Navy blue sweaters and pants underneath the coats, as well as black boots. But the most distinctive feature was the faint glowing lines of mako running down their coats, pants, and boots.**

**Deepground.**

**Vincent was not happy to see these soldiers again. They should have died with the rest of them during the Omega Incident. But something was different about these guys. Who were they? Were they a new class of Deepground?**

**Still getting no answer to his question, Vincent jumped back beside Yuffie to protect her. The air around his claw-hand began to vibrate, as if looking at a road during a heat wave. "What kind of game are you playing now?" he taunted the soldiers, a quiet anger in his voice.**

**The male soldier on his left spoke out. "You'll find out soon enough, Vincent Valentine," he said, smirking at the gunslinger.**

**All of a sudden, Vincent brought his claw over his shoulder and swiped to air in front of him, releasing two balls of fire at the soldiers. As the Fira spell exploded, the targets vanished in the smoke. Vincent looked around franticly in all directions for any signs of life, but all he sensed was Yuffie. Then a sharp pain shot into his right arm.**

**A dart.**

**How could he not hear it coming? Vincent went to pull the needle out of his arm. He held it in his claw and noticed that it contained a glowing red liquid inside. The world around him started to spin and his knees fell to the ground, unable to support himself. He finally collapsed, and everything went black.**

**Something roars in the darkness.**

**Silence.**


	3. Chapter 2: Turned

**Guardian Demon**

**Chapter 2: Turned**

**Her vision was blurry as she woke up. Grey eyes blinking a few times to focus themselves. Her whole body ached. Her head, her muscles, and strangely her left wrist. The tranquilizer dart must have made Yuffie sleep for at least thirty minutes. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she could hear the sound of voices coming from behind her, talking amongst themselves.**

"**Man. It's been a while now. They should be waking up soon, huh?" one of the males said. His voice sounded smooth, relaxed, and a little rough. Yuffie didn't bother looking at them and remained still, hoping they wouldn't notice her.**

"**The girl will be the first one up," a female voice responded. She had a lower serious voice. "That gun-trotting demon'll be up five or ten minutes after her."**

**Gun-trotting… What? Yuffie's mind raced. Vincent… Did they get him, too?**

"**I wonder. What kind of power he holds?" Another male asked. This one's voice was dark, calm, and much quieter than the other one.**

"**More than you can handle!" A third male teased. His voice sounded both childish and insane. "That form just tells you he's powerful!"**

**That form? Did Vincent… Transform? Yuffie let out a gasp.**

**Upon hearing that, one of the males made his way to what he thinks is a sleeping ninja. Quickly, Yuffie closed her eyes trying as hard as she could to seem as though she was asleep. He nudged her shoulder with his heavy boot, making Yuffie wince. "Oh, hey! You're awake!" shouted the relaxed and rough-sounding male.**

**Yuffie rolled away from him and got up on her feet. She looked at the man in front of her, while he looked at her with his deep yellow eyes. He had short brown hair that was spiked in every direction. "Who are you people?" she yelled at her captors. "What were those darts? Where's Vincent? What do you want with us?"**

**A hand placed itself on her shoulder. Turning her head, Yuffie saw the woman standing behind her. "Your answers will come soon enough, Yuffie Kisaragi," she told the ninja. The woman looked around Tifa's age and slightly taller than Cloud. Her eyes were a very light shade of green, almost looked white in the moonlight. Her hair was a much darker shade of green, so dark it looked black. "We must wait for our master to come, and for your friend to awaken."**

"**Where is he?" Yuffie demanded. "Where's Vincent?"**

"**Still sleeping!" the man with the childish voice called as he walked closer. He looked more feminine than the yellow-eyed man. His hair was sitting on his shoulders and wavy. It was the colour of a clear pond. His eyes were a bright blue that glowed in the moonlight. "Well, we did give him a stronger tranquilizer than you, so yeah, might be a while," he shrugged.**

**Yuffie ran past him towards the last of the four intruders. "Vincent!" she yelled as she ran. "Seriously, wake up!"**

**She saw two forms in the forest's shadow. One was laying down while the other loomed over him. "I believe he will wake any minute now," the standing figure told her with a dark tone in his voice. Glowing purple eyes were looking at Yuffie. His messy black hair flowed in the gentle night breeze. Yuffie focused her eyes on the figure on the ground. It was Vincent's size, but as she got closer, she did see Vincent…**

…**in the form of Chaos.**

**His skin was as black as night, but his face was a pale bluish-grey with lines coming from the bottom of his eyes and the corners of his mouth. His hair transformed to look like some sort of crown or headdress. Thankfully, he still had the Protomateria, glowing a pale blue while it kept Chaos's dark soul locked in Vincent's mind. His chest and shoulders had armour-like plating on them. Vincent's golden clawed gauntlet was transformed into a more menacing, bone-like version of itself. His waist had what looked like a torn, dark grey cloth on that went down to his knees. They had bone-like guards on as well. His feet still had the pointed tips, but were curled up a little bit. Underneath the demonic form were two, very large black and blood red wings. Yuffie saw the creature in front of her twitch as it woke up.**

"**Vincent?" she said cautiously, not knowing whether it was him or Chaos in control.**

**He opened his glowing yellow eyes, looking at the scared ninja. "Yuffie?" Upon hearing his own voice, warped from transforming, Vincent sat up. Immediately, he noticed that he wasn't himself. "What's going on? Why am I in Chaos's form?"**

"**I have no idea, but those guys are hiding something," Yuffie pointed to their four captors.**

**Vincent stood up and glared at them. "Deepground," he growled. Yuffie hadn't realized it was them until now. "I'll ask you one more time. What do you want from us?"**

"**What we want, is true chaos," a ghostly feminine voice called out in the distance.**

"**What the…? Where?" Yuffie turned herself around franticly, looking for the source of the voice. Vincent remained still.**

**As if out of nowhere, a woman appeared in front of the Deepground soldiers. She wore a sleeveless white trench coat fanning out at her waist. Shades of grey were at the shoulders and the hem of the coat. The mako-blue lines travelled vertically down the coat. She had tight black pants and her feet were dressed with black and mako-blue high heel boots. Her eyes were a greenish-blue with a hint of yellow around the iris. Her hair was long and silver with her bangs tied behind her head. "Good job, my Tsviets. You have done well."**

**They all bowed to her. "Thank you, Master Sylva," they said in unison.**

**Vincent and Yuffie just stared at them. Then Yuffie broke the silence. "Ok, what the hell is going on here? Why is Vincent Chaos? And why are there still Tsviets?" the confused ninja demanded to know. A low growl could be heard from Vincent.**

**Sylva looked at them and grinned. "We are much more different than the Deepground ruled by Weiss the Immaculate. Our goal is the exact opposite of what his was." Her gaze was focusing on Vincent.**

"**You want Chaos," he stated. "Just how do you plan on getting him?"**

"**Let's just say we've created a game for the two of you," Sylva turned her gaze to Yuffie. "Yuffie Kisaragi. Have you noticed what is on your left arm?"**

**Cautiously, Yuffie lifted said arm to find a strange bracer latched onto it. The bracer was a light grey with mako-blue edges. On the side were a few buttons. "What the hell is this?" she yelled, pointing at the strange device.**

"**The key to the game," Sylva replied. "It helps you, and it hurts you. Inside is a poison that your skin will absorb. In two weeks time, you'll be on the floor."**

**Yuffie didn't know what to say. Luckily, Vincent summed up what she was thinking quite well. "You bitch," he hissed, baring his fangs.**

"**But don't worry," Sylva said calmly. "All you have to do to get out of this is defeat my Tsviets, who will go to different places around the Planet. Obtain a code, and an antidote for the poison will come out of the bracer." Her gaze shifted to Yuffie again. "A screen with the world map will appear from it if you press the green button. Once we leave this area, a green indicator will tell you where to find one of us. Once defeated, another one will show, as well as a number for the antidote code. When you obtain all four numbers, you must make them "the same three even numbers" releasing the antidote as well as our headquarters' location. I will be there, holding a cure for Vincent."**

**Vincent starred at the Tsviet, trying to suppress his growing anger. "What the hell did you do to me?" he said as calmly as possible. **

**The brown haired Tsviet laughed loudly. "You seriously haven't noticed?"**

**Suddenly, the green-haired female punched him in the jaw. "Shut up, Ryu." She turned her attention to Vincent. "But he does have a point. You are unable to revert to your human form."**

**This time, it was Vincent who was speechless. He was mentally slapping himself for letting Yuffie get involved in this. How could he let this happen? "So if we don't play this "game," I'm stuck like this forever, and Yuffie's going to die? Is that what you're planning?" he said, showing his fangs again.**

**Sylva just smiled. "That shall be your fates if you don't fight us." She and the other Tsviets started to fade away. "Remember, you'll have two weeks time. We'll be waiting." With that, the five Tsviets disappeared into the night.**

**Yuffie ran over to the spot they once stood at and saw no footprints or anything else that would be left behind. "Great. Now what do we do?"**

"**Figure out how to work that thing," Vincent said coldly as he walked past her. "Then find those bastards so I can kill them."**

**She knew Vincent was trying to hide it, but he was really mad. She could tell because he hardly ever swore, and when he does he's out for blood. Yuffie turned her gaze from him to the bracer on her arm. Pushing the green button made a holographic world map appear in front of her. A red indicator marked their location, but she wanted to find the green one. Touching the map allowed her to move it around and zoom in and out. There were four blank boxes at the bottom right corner for the code. Yuffie went to work on better understanding this strange device. **

**Vincent was leaning against a near-by boulder thinking to himself. He felt Chaos's conscience come to the surface of his mind.**

"**You seem more bothered about this than I am, Chaos," Vincent said mentally to the demon.**

"**What do you think?" Chaos's voice echoed through Vincent's mind, obviously agitated. "You're stuck as me, and I don't like it one bit!"**

"**I don't like this either," Vincent agreed, "but we've got no other choice but to fight. For us and for Yuffie."**

"**I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm willing to help," the demon said hesitantly. **

**Vincent's eyes widened. It was unusual for Chaos to willingly help him. The most the demon offered was to take full control and massacre whatever for opposed them. "And just how do you plan to help, demon?"**

"**First of all, if you, or the ninja, need any kind of help, let me out. You might not be able to change forms right now, but we can still switch minds," Chaos informed his host.**

"**Alright," Vincent nodded in understanding. "But only when I find it necessary."**

"**And second," Chaos continued. Vincent sighed thinking the demon was done talking, but no. "I have been hiding some abilities from you. Use them to kill those Tsviets."**

"**We'll see if I have to," Vincent said, but no response came back.**

"**Hey, Vincent!" Yuffie yelled as she ran towards her winged friend. "I found one! It's just west of Gongaga, which isn't far from here."**

**That's odd, Vincent thought to himself. Why would the first one be so close? "Yuffie, if we rush into battle, we wouldn't know anything on how they fight. The more we know about them, the better."**

**Yuffie wanted to disagree with him, but she knew he was right. "Fine," she sighed. "Where do you plan on going to find out more about these guys?"**

"**Who do you know that knows more about Deepground than anyone else?" Vincent asked.**

**Right away, she knew who he was talking about. "You wanna find Shelke?" she asked. Vincent nodded. "Well, she was a Tsviet, and a human computer. Do you know where she is?"**

"**Last week, she sent me a text saying she was at Icicle Inn for vacation," Vincent said. "I'm sure she's still there."**

"**Damn," Yuffie sighed. "Had to be the coldest place on the Planet…" She let out a yawn and stretched her arms above her head.**

**Seeing this, Vincent realized that it was still early in the morning and Yuffie didn't get much sleep since the Tsviets had ambushed them. She even looked as if her energy was drained. "We should get some rest," he suggested. Even he was tired from his forced transformation. "We'll leave tomorrow for Icicle Inn."**

**Yuffie nodded in agreement. They walked back to the edge of the forest and Vincent sat at the base of a large tree. Yuffie sat to his left, leaning her head against his shoulder. Within five minutes, she was fast asleep, and Vincent carefully placed his left clawed arm around her. He noticed that she was shivering from the cool air of the morning. Flaring his left wing out, Vincent laid it gently over the small ninja, providing some warmth from the chilled air. He, too, closed his eyes, letting the sound of the wind carry him into a deep sleep.**


	4. Chapter 3: Preparation

Okay, so I went a little overboard with this chapter. It's gonna be the longest so far, I think. It's gonna make you hunger, and I think I might make some of you cry a little. If I do, I'm sorry! Reviews would be great! :D

Oh! And I decided to make Chaos's dialogue bold. I see a lot of others on here that do it, so yeah!

* * *

Guardian Demon

Chapter 3: Preparation 

The sunlight was beaming from behind, trying to get through the thick leaves of the trees. Dew drops made them shimmer lightly as a gentle breeze made the light branches dance. This freed the dew drops fall from the tree's grasp, landing on the soft grass below, and on an unsuspecting ninja.

A sleeping Yuffie was awoken by cold water dripping on her face. As she opened her storm-grey eyes, all she saw was red. Lazily, she reached for the odd colour in front of her, discovering that it felt leathery and soft. Her eyes looked at the red membrane to find it was being held in place by a black, bat-like frame. This was Chaos's wing. Still half-asleep, Yuffie tried to get away from the demon only to be held in place by his claw wrapped around her waist. She was about to scream, but everything that happened last night suddenly came flooding back into her mind. Deepground. The poisoned bracer. Vincent trapped in Chaos's form.

"Yuffie?" Vincent asked the startled ninja. His voice was slightly warped due to the transformation. Yuffie turned her head to look into his glowing yellow eyes.

"Umm…" She tried to put her sudden fear into words. "Please tell me you're Vincent?"

"It's me," Vincent sighed, but he understood her fear. He removed his claw from around her waist and moved his left wing behind himself. As soon as Yuffie was freed, she stood up to stretch. "What are you afraid of, Yuffie?"

"Uh, well," she began, thinking of how to say this without insulting Vincent. "I guess I'm kind of afraid of Chaos. But not now, 'cause you're in control. I just wasn't with it when I woke up. Hehe…!" Yuffie finished with an innocent smile.

Vincent just looked at her and sighed. "That's only half the answer." Yuffie looked at him confused. "You're worried that Chaos will take over in my sleep and go berserk."

Her face went from confusion to shock. "Yeah. That's one way to put it."

He looked at the ground, thinking to himself for a moment. "There is one way to tell who's in control," he said, looking up at Yuffie.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm listening."

"Our eyes," Vincent continued. "While I'm in control, the pupil is round." Yuffie leaned closer to his face a little, looking to see if he was telling the truth. She nodded, seeing his round pupils. "But, when Chaos takes over, the pupil becomes slit, like a dragon's." Closing his eyes, Vincent let a door in his mind open just a little bit for Chaos to come through. Then he opened his eyes again, revealing two glowing yellow orbs with the pupil slit down the middle of each.

"Aahhhh!" Yuffie shrieked as she jumped back and ran behind a near-by bush. "Don't you DARE let that thing out! I've freaked out enough for one morning, thank you!"

"I only did that to show you," Vincent tried to defend himself. He noticed her head peaking over the bush. She was inspecting his eyes again, and she stood up after making sure it was still Vincent in control.

"Well, thanks for the heads up," she told her demonic companion and she walked around the bush towards Vincent.

As she walked closer, Vincent heard a low rumble coming from Yuffie's direction. He didn't sense anything large behind her, but he had a thought as to what made the sound.

"Yuffie?" he started. She looked up at him, obviously embarrassed. "Was that your stomach?"

She threw her head down. "Yeah."

Vincent completely forgot about that. Regular humans needed to eat at least three times a day. He, on the other hand, can last a month without eating. That time was coming for him as well. He shook his head slightly and crossed his arms over his chest as he thought. Yuffie sat on the ground in front of him, brought her knees up to her face and sighed, realizing how hungry she was.

"I'll be right back," Vincent informed the hungry ninja, spreading his wings as he walked.

"What? Hey! Wait!" Where are you going? Don't leave me!" she shouted.

Flapping his wings once, Vincent's feet left the ground. Turning in midair to face Yuffie, he told her, "I'm going to see how far we are from Gongaga. If we're close, I'll fly you there to eat."

Yuffie just stared at him, not knowing what to say. "Uh, thanks, Vince," was all she could think of.

With that, Vincent turned back, flapping his giant wings again, and took off into the morning sky. Yuffie watched the red speck until it was too far away to see. She then proceeded to play with the bracer. Pressing the green button and touching the holographic screen, she went to the area where the green indicator was. It didn't move during the night, still west of Gongaga. She remembered the silver-haired Tsviet saying that once they defeated the first one, another would appear in another location, and so on. With every defeat, a number would appear on the screen's bottom-right corner, four in total. Then there was the puzzle of "making the numbers into three identical numbers by whatever means necessary. Just thinking about that part made Yuffie's head hurt.

A sudden gust of wind caught her attention as Vincent landed behind her. "That didn't take you long."

"Gongaga is a five minute flight from here," he told her bluntly.

Yuffie froze. She didn't like that one word in his sentence. Flight. Anything that had to do with flying, air, boats, and fast movement made her stomach do back flips. "Vince," she began slowly. "You remember what happened when we first got the Highwind, right?"

He remembered alright. After they seized the airship, they had to get Tifa off of the Junon cannon. Cid and Barret threw a long rope over the railing for Tifa to climb. Vincent watched the martial artist sway in every direction possible. Cait Sith and Nanaki had to look away because they were feeling dizzy. Yuffie rush to the rails to help her friend. As soon as she saw the height and the rope's movements, Yuffie threw one hand over her mouth and the other around her stomach. Vincent remembered Cid yelling, "Other side, brat!" to avoid her blowing chunks on Tifa. Yuffie ran as best as she could to the opposite side of the deck, but she ended up tripping. Unable to hold it in, her stomach gave up the battle and let loose its content. Everyone on board, including Tifa as she clung to the rails, looked at her in disgust. Cid, on the other hand, was burning with rage.

"Unfortunately," Vincent answered her question.

"So, how long might it take to walk there?" Yuffie offered an alternative.

He thought for a moment. "Half hour to an hour."

"Ah, hell!" she yelled as she threw herself backwards. "I don't have the energy to walk that far! I'm so hungry."

Vincent sighed and decided to try to convince her to fly. "Yuffie. Flying with me isn't as bad as being on an airship," he told her, watching every word he said. "I don't get that much turbulence, which is what causes your sickness."

Yuffie sat up, looking at him with her bright eyes. "Really?" He nodded, reassuringly. "Cool! That makes me feel a bit better. Just don't go too fast or do flips and whatnot."

A small grin crept onto Vincent's face. "Don't worry. I won't do anything extreme."

"Good," Yuffie stood up and dusted herself off. Vincent came up behind her and took her into his arms, figuring it would be more comfortable for the young ninja. Yuffie's face turned a bright red at this point. She would have gone on his back again, but his wings and the odd crown on his head would get in her way. This was the only other option.

"Are you ready?" Vincent asked as he spread his wings to their maximum length.

Quickly, Yuffie wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her head near his shoulder next to the Protomateria. "Now I am," she muttered.

With that, Vincent beat his wings and took off for Gongaga. Yuffie shivered as the cool air rushed past them. She was glad that, true to Vincent's word, her airsick stomach was behaving itself, unlike on an airship. As Vincent descended a little, she could see the small village ahead. It looked beautiful from the sky. However, her stomach could care less as Vincent's feet hit the ground.

As soon as he saw her paled face, Vincent let go of the sick ninja. She staggered as she walked behind the nearest tree. As soon as she was out of sight, Vincent heard the young girl throw up, not very much thankfully. He sighed and placed his hand on his forehead.

Yuffie came out with a look of embarrassment on her face. "Sorry, Vince. You were right, though. It's not as bad with you. You fly very smoothly."

He nodded. "What made you throw up?"

She leaned against the tree wrapping her arms around her stomach. "I looked down. I'm not the biggest fan of heights, either."

Again, Vincent heard Yuffie's stomach growling for food. "You should go to the village and get something to eat," he told her while turning around. "I'll meet you south of here. Call my name when you're ready." With that, he jumped into the air and flew out of sight again, leaving the starving ninja behind.

"Oh, come on! Don't leave me here!" Yuffie screamed. Her stomach protested in hunger again. "And you! Shut up!"

Gongaga was a small village with little huts for its people to live in, the ruins of an old mako reactor, and a small graveyard for those who perished in the blast. As Yuffie came into town, her nose picked up the scent of something sweet and delicious. A fresh breakfast being cooked? As she got closer to one hut in particular, she recognized the smell as pancakes and bacon. Yuffie just stood ten feet from the door, lost in the smell. A moment later, an elderly woman came out to hang a towel and noticed Yuffie standing there. She greeted her with a gentle smile.

"Why hello, dear," she said, catching Yuffie's attention. "Would you like some of my blueberry pancakes? You look rather hungry."

As soon as she said "hungry," Yuffie's stomach begged for anything at this point, growling louder than before. Not to mention blueberry pancakes were one of Yuffie's favorite breakfasts. "Yes! Thank you so much. My stomach is starting to hurt."

The woman smiled, showing Yuffie inside her home. "Come now, don't be shy."

As Yuffie went inside, she was overcome by the intoxicating aroma of fresh blueberry pancakes and bacon. A dish full of pancakes and a bowl of bacon rested on a small table in the kitchen. The old woman gave her a plate and a fork and placed a bottle of syrup and a dish of butter on the table. "Eat as much as you want, dear," she told the young ninja.

Yuffie sat herself at the table and took three pancakes, stacked them up, lathered them in butter, and poured the syrup on each of them. She cut a triangular piece out of the layers and took a bite. To her surprise, these were the best pancakes she has ever tasted. They were even better than Tifa's pancakes. She decided to try out the bacon, and they were just as good.

The woman watched Yuffie eating happily. She walked over to the fridge, picked up a clean glass and poured some milk into it. She offered the glass to Yuffie, who took a large gulp out of it. "You have an appetite like my son. He use to love my pancakes," she laughed.

Yuffie looked up at her and swallowed. "I don't blame him. These are awesome! He's lucky to have you," she said cheerfully.

All of a sudden, the woman's face went from happy to sad. "Yes. Yes he was." She walked to a small window and looked outside. "He was in SOLDIER. He wrote to us every month, but he died in the line of duty many years ago."

Yuffie looked away from the grieving mother. "I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't know."

"That's quite alright, dear," she told her guest, putting a smile back on her face. "He wouldn't want me to be sad anyway."

Yuffie smiled back at her then went back to eating her breakfast. Later, the woman went outside to do some laundry while Yuffie sat on the couch digesting her breakfast. She forgot how filling pancakes can be. As she lay there, her eyes wandered around the living room until one photograph caught her attention. It was a picture of the woman that lived here, a man she assumed was her husband, and a teenage boy. He was the one that caught Yuffie's eye. He had spiky, black hair and bright, blue eyes. He was taller than his mom and dad, and very well-built. "Weird," Yuffie thought back many years ago. "Did I… try to take his materia back then?"

Sitting up, Yuffie realized that Vincent was still out there waiting for her. As she stood up, she stretched and walked to the door. The elderly woman was sitting on a bench outside enjoying the fresh air. "Oh, are you leaving so soon?" she asked.

"Yeah. I have to go meet someone in Icicle Inn," Yuffie told here.

"Icicle?" The woman had a surprised and worried look on her face. "Well, dear, you're not really dressed for the weather up there, are you?"

Looking down, Yuffie realized that she was right. A tube top, short shorts, and knee-high socks and boots in -30˚C/-22˚F weather, not the best thing to experience. "Hehe, I guess not," she shrugged.

The woman smiled. "Wait right there, dear." She walked around the ninja to the front door of her home and went inside.

Confused, Yuffie sat on the small bench. What could she be getting for her? As she thought, a large black and blue dragonfly landed on her knee. It looked unusually pretty for an insect. She placed her finger in front of it, and it climbed on it. She brought it closer to her face, examining its wings and tail. "You know, you're one of the few bugs I'll ever hold like this," she told the dragonfly. Suddenly, it's wings started to vibrate as it moved around her hand to the tip of her finger and took off towards the sky.

As she looked up at the sky, Yuffie heard the door open as the old mother came out with a large, dark-blue winter jacket. "This used to belong to my son. I know that it is a little large, but it should cover most of you." She handed the jacket to Yuffie. "Why not try it on before you leave?" she asked kindly.

The ninja accepted the jacket and put it on. It was far too big on her small frame, as the bottom reached down to her knees and the sleeves covered her hands. At least it was warm and cozy. "Thank you, ma'am," she said to the woman.

"It should protect you from the wind, as well," the lady informed. "And don't worry about returning it. Give it to one of your friends. It has no use here."

"Don't worry," Yuffie said as she walked to the forest. "I've already got someone in mind!" Cloud hates being cold, and he needs a new jacket, too. "Thanks for the food!"

* * *

Meanwhile, sitting in a tree deeper in the forest, Vincent has been trying to revert back to his human form, but to no avail. After numerous attempts, he was still stuck in Chaos's form. Even the demon hated this situation they were in. He wanted Deepground brutally massacred.

"Chaos," Vincent called the demon's conscience out, wanting to ask him something. "What do you think was in that tranquilizer? I'm sure you saw it before I blacked out."

Vincent head a growl in his mind as Chaos came to the surface. **"The one with the red liquid in it?"** Vincent nodded. **"It might have been tainted mako, mixed with other chemicals that I don't know. That's my best guess,"** the demon shrugged.

"And whatever they are," Vincent thought out loud, "they're preventing me from changing. The mako's responsible for dragging you out."

**"You're thinking out loud again,"** Chaos sighed. **"Even I know what's going on. To get back to your human form and remove that thing from the girl's arm, we have to defeat those four Tsviets, unlock some code, which in turn will give the girl an antidote for the poison in the thing she's wearing, and reveal that silver-haired bitch's location. Find her, beat her, and get our antidote. There. I just did your thinking for you!"**

"And we have two weeks to do all of that," Vincent added.

**"Not to mention you'll be stuck as me for the rest of your life,"** Chaos pouted. He did not like the thought of that at all. **"Oh, and your girlfriend dies, too."**

"Don't call her that," Vincent hissed, baring his fangs.

**"That's another thing,"** the demon said, noticing Vincent's behavior. **"The longer you remain like this, the more you'll adapt to this form." **

"What do you mean by that?"

Chaos paused, thinking of a way to say this for his host to understand. **"Well, for example, you've been hissing, growling, and showing your fangs a lot lately. That's demonic behavior. The more time goes by, you won't even realize you're doing it." **

Thinking over what Chaos just told him, Vincent clenched his right hand in a fist as a low growl came from deep within his throat. He was right. He was acting more like a monster now! Vincent didn't want to look and act like the beast he was for the rest of eternity. He wouldn't be able to go into towns, everyone would run away. He didn't want to be feared.

**"Great. You're thinking sad thoughts, again,"** Chaos complained, shaking his head. **"Look, you're not gonna go berserk or anything. You'll still be you, just different."**

Sighing, Vincent looked down at his clawed left hand. "I just hope we can resolve this soon."

In the distance, the wind carried the sound of a high-pitched voice calling to be picked up. "…ent…ver here…ready…!" Vincent was far from Gongaga but he knew right away that it was Yuffie calling for him.

**"Your girlfriend is calling,"** Chaos teased, smiling in amusement.

"I know," Vincent said, sending a mental death glare Chaos's way. "And stop calling her that."

Standing on the branch he was sitting on, Vincent leapt off and flew into the afternoon sky, heading in the direction of Yuffie's call. That was the one thing he liked about being Chaos. He could fly freely to wherever he needed.

* * *

After walking south from Gongaga for a while, Yuffie came to a small clearing surrounded by trees and flowers. She sat on the side of a fallen tree, exhausted from all of the pancakes and bacon she ate. Looking to her right, there was a small group of brightly colored flowers. They looked like lilies, similar to the ones in Aerith's church. There was one in particular that caught her eye, because it was moving. Looking down into the flower, Yuffie saw a bee gathering its nectar. As it climbed out, its furry body gathered the pollen from the anthers, and flew past her head. Yuffie liked watching bees pollinating. They were always so busy.

Busy. That's right! She and Vincent were busy trying to save themselves!

"Oh, God. Where is he?" Yuffie looked around franticly, looking for the demonic gunslinger. "Vincent! Get over here! I'm ready!" She really hoped he was close enough to hear that. Then again, he could hear a pin drop a mile away.

* * *

Vincent landed near a small clearing; the same one Yuffie stood in, and watched her for a moment. She was watching a bee flying from flower to flower. He didn't want to surprise her, especially with the stinging insects nearby. Silently, he spread his wings and slowly crept up to Yuffie. Luckily, she hadn't noticed his presence yet. But then, he felt Chaos come up from the depths of his mind.

**"Do you mind letting me out for a moment?"** the demon asked. **"I want to tell her something."**

Telling from Chaos's voice, it was something important. "Just promise me you won't hurt her," Vincent demanded.

**"I won't." **

With that settled, they switched minds.

Chaos looked at the young human in front of him. She was still squatting in front of the flower bush watching the insects. His feet were two feet from the ground, and had his arms crossed.

He smiled to himself. **"Don't too close or they'll sting you."**

Yuffie froze as she heard that icy voice. Turning her head slowly, she saw Vincent floating in midair. Or was it Vincent? She looked up to his eyes. The glowing orbs had a vertical line going down the middle. His pupils were slit.

"Aaaahhhhh!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she ran behind a large tree.

Laughing quietly, Chaos floated closer to the terrified ninja. **"You can relax, human. I just wanted to talk."**

Yuffie poked her head out from behind the tree. "About what?"

Planting his feet on the ground, Chaos answered her question. **"I just wanted to let you know that I won't do anything to hurt you."** He looked into her surprised, storm-grey eyes. **"I saw your fear of me in the past. The fights with Hojo, Sephiroth, and Omega. Even the events of yesterday."**

Yuffie just looked at him in confusion and felt her cheeks turning red. Did Chaos, the demon that was supposed to kill all life on the Planet, care for her? "Uh, did I hurt your feelings?" she asked.

He shook his head. **"No. I just… feel bad about scaring you."** He extended he right hand to help her up. **"I can't explain what I'm feeling, but you have my word that I will never harm you." **

The ninja didn't know what to say as she took his hand, helping her stand up. Her face was red as she looked at the demon. "Umm. Thanks. That makes me feel a bit better."

**"I'm glad."**

Chaos closed his eyes, only to have them open again. Instead of having slit pupils, they were back to their round shape. Vincent was back in control.

"Hey, Vince!" Yuffie beamed, looking at the confused gunslinger. "If you're wondering, Chaos didn't hurt me."

Vincent's golden eyes looked at her, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I know. It's just that, he never says those kinds of things to anyone. It's odd for him to do that."

"That… is weird," Yuffie thought out loud. So Vincent was aware of what was happening even though Chaos was in control? "Well, anyway," she broke her train of thought. We're still going to Icicle Inn, right?"

"Yes," Vincent nodded his head. "I'm just worried about your airsickness and the weather up there."

"Way ahead of you." Running to the flower bush she previously sat at, Yuffie grabbed the oversized blue jacket she was given in Gongaga. "I got this from an old lady that was nice enough to give me pancakes. It's really big but it should handle the cold. I'm gonna give it to Cloud when I get a chance, 'cause she didn't want it anymore."

"And your airsickness?" Vincent asked, crossing his arms. How was she going to avoid that?

"Mmm. I think I'm good as long as I don't look down," Yuffie said. "That's what did me in last time. And again, no extreme stunts."

Vincent nodded again as Yuffie threw on the large coat and started to walk to him. "Where's that Tsviet?" he asked her suddenly "I don't want any trouble while we're flying."

Pulling back her sleeve, Yuffie activated the holographic screen on the bracer. She pulled it to the location were the green indicator was last seen. "It's still west of here. Hasn't moved at all."

"Good." Vincent walked behind her to pick her up. Yuffie wrapped her arms around his neck. They both looked at each other; Vincent to make sure she was ready and Yuffie to make sure it was him in control. "Are you ready?" he asked her.

Yuffie's body tightened against his as she braced herself. "Now I am."

Spreading his wings, Vincent gently jumped into the air and headed north towards Icicle Inn in hopes of finding their friend, and former Tsviet, Shelke Rui. She would be the only person on the Planet who would know anything about this "other" Deepground, and why they did what they did to them.

* * *

I think I should explain some things:

Chaos's Slit Pupils- I know that this never happened in Dirge of Cerberus, but I thought it would help Yuffie out a bit. Plus, I think he should have slit pupils! Adds to the whole demon persona.

Flashback on the Highwind- I had to make up a bad memory for Yuffie that involves flying

Pancakes n' Bacon- I was REALLY craving pancakes when I first wrote this... ^_^'

Black and Blue Dragonfly- I was at my aunt's lake lot and I saw this big, black and blue dragonfly. Thought it was pretty! I was also going through Crisis Core again at the time and I kinda thought that the dragonfly would represent Zack in a way. *shrug*

Bees in the flowers- Again at the lake lot, saw bees in the flowers. I was amused!

That's it for now! Chapter 4 should be up... well I have no clue. Gotta find the time to work on it. But it will get done eventually! Promise!


	5. Chapter 4: Information

Guardian Demon

Chapter 4: Information

The sky was a smoky grey, and the air was a bitter cold. Two hours of flight brought Vincent and Yuffie to the ever-frozen Icicle Inn. Vincent was thankful that she hadn't thrown up on the way, but also worried for the young ninja. Despite having the large, warm jacket she received from an elderly woman back in Gongaga, Yuffie wouldn't stop shivering in the cold wind. He came in for a landing just outside of the wintery town, waking Yuffie as he landed. The snow's level on the ground was just below Vincent's knees, but he found a flattened path leading to the town, and let Yuffie's feet land on to frozen ground.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Yuffie wrapped her arms around herself, shivering even more. "It's so... frickin'... COLD!" she screamed in frustration. Vincent backed away from her a little bit. "And you! Why aren't you shivering?" She pointed a frozen finger in his direction.

"You should know the answer to that already." Vincent told her. Yuffie just stared at him. "High-classed demons like Chaos aren't affected by temperature like humans. Even in my normal form, I can barely feel it."

"L-lucky," Yuffie pouted. "Sometimes, I wish I was immortal and possessed by d-demons."

"I would prefer if you weren't," Vincent sighed. "You should go to the inn, Yuffie. Shelke should be up there and you need to warm up."

"F-fine," she said, turning to walk towards the village. "Hold on. W-where will you be?" Yuffie looked over her shoulder, but was met with nothing but snow and ice. "Augh! He has got to stop doing that!"

As she entered Icicle Inn, Yuffie noticed that there was no one outside. No children playing on their sleds, no dogs barking at them, and the snowboarding path leading to the Northern Crater was closed. All of the villagers must be inside of their homes, but why?

"Hey, girl!" Yuffie spun around to notice a man at the inn yelling at her and waving his hand. "Get in here before the snowstorm freezes you over!"

Without hesitating, she ran towards the inn. "Thank you, sir," Yuffie panted as she came through the door, still shivering. "I just got here, didn't know there was a storm coming."

"No need for thanks, girl," the man turned around and walked to the front desk. "You can stay here 'til the storm rolls over. Rooms are upstairs and they're all opened. One's taken, though."

"Okay. Thanks again, mister," Yuffie said as she made her way up the staircase. The last time she was here, the entire second floor was a huge room. Now, there was a narrow hallway with three doors on either side. The middle door on her left was closed while the other five were opened. That's the room Shelke should be in. Slowly, she crept up to the door and knocked quietly.

"Yes?" a quiet voice answered. It was the voice of a young girl, soft and slightly monotone. Upon hearing it, Yuffie knew who it was right away.

"Shelke, it's Yuffie. We really need to talk," she told the former Tsviet through the door as it opened slightly.

Shelke's bright orange hair came into view followed by her deep blue eyes. As she recognized Yuffie, she swung the door fully open. "Yuffie Kisaragi," she greeted, allowing Yuffie to enter her room. "This is certainly an unexpected surprise. How have you been lately?"

"Just peachy," Yuffie scowled. She removed her long jacket and pointed to the grey bracer attached to her left arm. Shelke's eyes widened upon seeing the thing. "We've got a bit of a situation going on."

* * *

Hiding himself at the edge of the village, Vincent was starting to feel the cold biting his skin, but mostly on his wings. He wasn't able to move them without cringing in pain. The wind was getting stronger and colder.

** "You better go someplace warm, or those wings will start to break,"** Chaos informed his host. **"The girl is probably at the inn with the little Tsviet by now. Surely they'll let you in through a window, or something."**

Vincent had to admit that Chaos was right. He crouched to the ground for a moment to pick up a fist-full of small pebbles under the snow, and then leapt onto the roof of a house. Finding the inn wasn't hard, so he scaled the rooftops in its direction.

* * *

"... and then they all disappeared. Now Vincent's stuck as Chaos and I'm gonna die!" Yuffie finished her rant and took a sip of warm tea Shelke had made. "We wanna find out who these guys are and why they're doing this to us."

Shelke nodded. "Yes. It is a good thing you came to me. I might know something." She stopped to drink her tea. "But I would prefer if Vincent was here as well."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the girls heard a sound coming from the window. It sounded like small rocks hitting the glass. Shelke got up to look outside. "Oh. Guess who?" she said to Yuffie. Outside on top of a house, Vincent stood there waiting to be let in. Shelke opened the window, folding in on either side. She moved out of the way and beckoned Vincent to come. Vincent then jumped into the room from the snowy rooftop, and landed on his feet. Snow clung to his body and his wings were frozen. Shelke quickly closed the windows, stopping the frigid air from entering.

"I just remembered why I hate this place," Vincent complained as his frozen wings shivered in the warm room. "The snowstorms are relentless."

"That's why we're staying here with Shelke 'til it stops," Yuffie smiled, looking at the former Tsviet with pleading eyes. "If she'll let us?"

Shelke nodded. "Yes. The weather is too harsh at the moment for anyone to be outside." She walked to her desk to pick up her laptop, and then sat down beside Yuffie on the bed. She opened the lid to turn it on. "In the mean time, I will tell you all I know of this "other" Deepground."

"Thank you for helping us, Shelke," Vincent said as he walked to the left side of the radiator, spreading his right wing over it in an attempt to thaw it out.

"Hmph. "Aren't affected by the cold" my ass," Yuffie teased. Vincent only shot her a glare silently telling her to shut up.

"Anyway," Shelke interrupted. "After the Omega Incident, I was able to download all of the information I held about Deepground onto this computer." She stopped to open one of the files and typed in a few keys. "Whatever information you guys are looking for, it will be on this."

Yuffie looked over her shoulder at the screen, trying to keep up with Shelke's search. "Try looking up "Sylva." That was the name of the leader," she suggested.

Sure enough, the search pulled up a file on the other Deepground. It wasn't much, but it was all they needed for the time being. "There were rumors of a separate division of Deepground located somewhere else on the Planet, but the exact location remains unknown." She paused to read the file a little more. "Like the one in Midgar, this Deepground is also ruled by five Tsviets: Sylva the Ephemeral, Laefe the Constrictor, Ryu the Razorwing, Yumi the Torret, and Koro the Nightshade. And like you said, Yuffie, Sylva is this Deepground's leader." The ninja nodded in understanding and Vincent went to the right of the radiator to thaw out his left wing. "It is said that these Tsviets are much more powerful than Midgar's Tsviets," Shelke continued. "They each possess what is called the Summon Soul Materia."

Immediately, Yuffie's eyes lit up t the sound of "materia." "What does that do? It sounds powerful." She smiled at the thought of holding the stone.

"According to this, it is," Shelke stated after searching for more information on the materia. "This materia's origins are unknown. Unlike a regular Summon Materia, it looks like a red, uneven gem instead of a round orb. And instead of summoning creatures, this materia has the ability to transform the user's body into the true form of their soul."

Vincent and Yuffie looked at her in shock and confusion, respectively. "What?" asked Yuffie. "I can't even comprehend that. Mind explaining it?"

"It's simple," Vincent said, surprising the girls. They both looked in his direction. "If the materia's user is good at heart, they would transform into something peaceful and kind, like an angel. But if the user is evil, they would take on a more demonic form. I also think their forms would depend on who they are as a person."

"Oh! Kinda like you and the Galian Beast," Yuffie realized out loud.

Vincent starred at her blankly. "Sure. Almost like that."

"Yes," Shelke agreed. "By the way, Vincent, have the other demons inside of you been active since you were turned?"

At that moment, Vincent realized that he hasn't felt anything from the Galian Beast, Death Gigas, or Hellmasker. They were usually always active, but not since he was forced the transform into Chaos the night before.

"They've all been passed out since last night," Chaos told his host. "I've kicked them all in the ribs and I got no responses."

"No," Vincent told Shelke. "They've all been sleeping since then."

"It was probably that tranquilizer dart they shot at you" Yuffie said.

"Maybe," Shelke agreed, turning back to the screen. "There is more about the materia, still. If it is left in the user's body for a long time, it will dissolve into their bloodstream. The liquid mako will fuse with their DNA, resulting in the user remaining the way they are and go into a berserk state for the rest of their lives. Their only freedom is death."

After hearing that, the ninja shook her head. "Okay, no. I don't ever want to touch that materia for as long as I live!"

Vincent walked away from the wall he was leaning on, making sure his wings were able to move properly. "Does it say why they are doing this to us? Do they have any goals?"

Immediately, Shelke's fingers fluttered over the keyboard in search of an answer. "Do you remember how Weiss the Immaculate wanted to obtain the power of Omega?" Vincent and Yuffie both nodded. "Well, it appears as if these Tsviets are the opposite. They want to obtain the power of Chaos."

A low growl came from Vincent. "Why do they want his power?"

She sighed and shook her head slowly. "It does not say, Vincent."

Yuffie was about to say something, but was stopped as she began to cough uncontrollably. She turned away from Shelke, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. "Yuffie, are you alright?" the young girl asked out of concern. Vincent looked at the ninja as a familiar, tangy scent reached his nose.

As soon as she stopped coughing, Yuffie looked at her hand in disgust. "Eww..." she said. "I got blood on my hand. Gross..."

"It's that bracer," Vincent spoke up. "The poison is in your system. I can smell it in your blood. It's not at a dangerous level, yet."

"Peachy," she said as she stood. "I'm gonna wash this off before I throw up. Be right back." She made her way towards the washroom.

Shelke put her laptop on her bed and got up to grab two bowls of instant noodles for herself and Yuffie. "Would you like something to eat, Vincent" she offered.

"I'm fine," Vincent declined, leaning on the wall again. "I don't have to eat as often as you."

"Very well," she poured warm water into the bowls and left them to set. Yuffie came out of the washroom and sat on the bed. "Yuffie, would you like some soup?" she asked her.

"Sure," Yuffie accepted the offer. "Thanks, Shelke."

* * *

As the two girls ate and looked at various things on the internet, Vincent was deep in thought about the whole Deepground situation. His opponent sounded powerful, but he was determined to prevent them from taking Chaos's power from him. Who knows what they could do with it.

** "They can try all they want,"** Chaos spoke up in his mind. **"But they won't be able to separate me from your body."**

"No," Vincent agreed. "What do you think of all of this? I know you were listening to Shelke as well."

** "I was,"** Chaos mentally nodded. **"And I don't like any of it. Especially that Summon Soul Materia crap. It shouldn't exist if you ask me."**

"No, it shouldn't," Vincent said again. "Have you heard of it before, Chaos?"

The great demon shook his head. **"This is the first time I've heard of it,"** he said. **"The Planet would not create something like it. It has to be man-made."**

Vincent couldn't help but think the worst. "And I think I know the man who might have made it."

** "Hojo?"** Chaos guessed. He hated the mad-man as much as Vincent did.

"It's possible," Vincent thought. "I have a feeling he's involved with this somehow."

** "Unbelievable,"** Chaos let out a chuckle. **"The guy is dead, yet he's still ruining your life."**

"Not only that," Vincent looked over to where Yuffie sat, starring at the deadly bracer she wore. "But he's ruining the lives of others as well."

* * *

For three hours, the trio stayed in Shelke's hotel room waiting for the snowstorm to pass. Yuffie was playing online games on the laptop, Shelke was reading a book beside her, and Vincent still leaned against the wall by the radiator. The power to the inn went out a few times, much to Yuffie and Shelke's annoyance. When the storm finally died down, the sky was a dark blue with glittering stars scattered everywhere. It was time to leave.

Vincent opened the window to let himself out then turned to Yuffie as she put on her large jacket. "I'll wait for you outside of town. I'm pretty sure the innkeeper would have a heart attack if he saw me."

"Sure," Yuffie giggled. "Just try not to freak me out."

"Noted," he replied, then turned to Shelke. "Thank you for letting us stay here, as well as letting us know what lies ahead."

"You're welcome, Vincent Valentine," she said, offering a rare smile. "I do wish for your success."

He nodded his thanks and jumped into the night sky. He almost looked like a red shooting star with the red streams coming off of his wings.

Shelke went to lock the window behind him then walked to the nightstand next to her bed. "Yuffie, you might want to have this for your travels." She held up a glowing orange orb to the ninja. "My Shield Materia."

Yuffie took the materia and looked at it as a smile crept onto her face. "Wow! Thanks, Shelke," she said putting the materia in her pocket. "Are you letting me keep it?"

"No," the former Tsviet told her firmly. I am only letting you have it to help protect you. When you are finished with it, I expect it back. If you are... unable to bring it back, I expect Vincent to return it."

"Shelke," Yuffie put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I swear to Leviathan that I will return it to you in person." She then pulled her into a tight hug, surprising her. "Please don't think like that."

"My oppologies," Shelke said, hugging her back awkwardly. "I did not mean to upset you."

"It's alright," Yuffie broke away to wipe away a stray tear. "Well, I should get going. Thanks for everything, Shelke." Shelke opened the door for her and Yuffie wandered into the hall. Shelke silently waved at her as she went downstairs to the lobby.

* * *

The snow's level outside of Icicle Inn was almost as high as Yuffie's height, but the path leading to the quiet village was at a walkable level, thankfully. However, the cold air still froze Yuffie's legs and fingers. She didn't want to remain in this frozen landscape any longer.

"Vincent!"

After a few seconds of waiting, she heard the beating of large wings in the distance coming towards her. She turned around and saw a speck of red light in the night sky. As it got closer, she could easily tell that it was Vincent. He was coming in for a landing in front of her.

Yuffie prepared herself for the cold gust of wind Vincent would make when he landed, covering her face with her arms. However, she never felt the cold gust. Removing her arms from her face, she saw Vincent floating in front of her at least two feet above the frozen ground. His wings were spread to their full length, but were shaking a little as the frozen air blew past them.

"I guess those wings aren't immune to the cold, huh?" Yuffie teased the frozen-winged gunslinger.

Vincent shook his head slowly. "I didn't realize they were this sensitive." He looked over to his right wing and gently stroked the black frame. "They're mostly skin and bone."

"No wonder," Yuffie said as she pulled up her sleeve and activated the bracer. "Anyway, we should get going. That mark still hasn't moved."

"Where is it, exactly?" Vincent asked while crossing his arms.

"Didn't I tell you, like, ten times already?!" Yuffie yelled at him in anger. Vincent backed up a little bit, but still expected an answer. "It's between Gongaga and Cosmo Canyon." She pointed at the holographic screen.

For a second, Vincent had that distant look in his eyes. Over the years, Yuffie has learned that when he has that look on his face, it means that he is mentally speaking to Chaos or the other demons in his head. "Yuffie," he said suddenly. "Have you forgotten what's there?" She thought for a moment, but shrugged because she did forget. "That is where the Ancient Forest is."

"What!" Her grey eyes widened. She quickly looked at the holographic map and zoomed out enough to see the canyon and the village. Sure enough, the green indicator was right on top of the Ancient Forest. "What the hell? Why didn't I see that sooner?"

"I'm guessing it's because neither of us has been there since Meteorfall," Vincent said as his feet landed on the snow-covered ground. "Chaos just reminded me, as well."

"I guess it's a good thing he did," Yuffie said, deactivating the bracer. "Hey. Do you mind if I go on your back this time? I wanna try to take a nap on the way." She yawned as she walked behind Vincent.

He nodded and crouched onto one knee while spreading his wings apart. "Just be careful with the wings."

"Sure." Yuffie wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her legs on his sides. "Ready when you are," she yawned over his left shoulder.

With that, Vincent held Yuffie's ankles and stood up while spreading his wings to their full length. "Hold on," he told her. He felt her body tense as she prepared for the flight. Finally, Vincent jumped forward high into the air, flapping his wings in the cold night air. Thankfully, Yuffie's body heat helped warm the joints connecting them to his back. However, soon after takeoff, Yuffie's arms grew slack as she fell into a much needed slumber. Vincent made a mental note to fly slower for her as the two headed south to the ever-silent Ancient Forest.

* * *

Sorry this is so freaking late! I barely get enough time on the laptop these days since we moved. We havent got the desktop or the wifi set up yet (because my parents have no knowledge of computers...) and my sister hogs the laptop like its her lifeline.

So here is Chapter 4! Basically giving you all some info on whats to come in future chapters. And I had to replay dirge of Cerberus to figure out Shelkes personality. And if anyone has questions about the new Tsviets or the Summon Soul Materia (Im in love with it!), go ahead and ask. I will try to answer them, hopefully without spoiling the story!

In the mean time, Im gonna post this on FanFiction, and go to bed. Its like, ten after two! o_O

FYI: Just so you know, the next one will a) take a while and b) be a little gory for some


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